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ouverture

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Etymology and origin of the French word ouverture

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
1121–1134 Philippe de Thaon, Bestiaire More words from the 12th century
Inherited from
Latin *opertura via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin aperiō

Pronunciation

  • /u.vɛʁ.tyʁ/[1]

Forms

ouverture f (plural ouvertures)[1] Old French uverture and overture (12th century), ouvreture (1293).[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French overture, inherited from Vulgar Latin *opertūra, an alteration of Classical Latin apertūra (“opening, hole”), formed on apertum, the supine of aperiō (“to open”).[2][4][5][1] The GLLF takes the Vulgar Latin noun from the supine of *operiō, the verb behind ouvrir.[3] The classical word was later borrowed as the learned aperture, a term of phonetics.[4][1]

Cognate with Italian apertura, Spanish abertura, Portuguese abertura and Catalan obertura.[6][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

A gloss of Rashi (late 11th century) may have ovredure for a lintel, the part above a door.[2][4] The first certain record is uverture in Philippe de Thaon's Bestiaire (1121–1134), meaning “that which is open, an opening”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

After the isolated sense “lintel”, the word named an opening, and the action of opening from 1293, displacing the older ouvrement.[4][2] Special senses followed in architecture (1680), optics (1765) and photography.[4]

In the abstract it meant the way of approaching a subject or undertaking (about 1460), and, mostly in the plural, overtures in diplomacy, offers to negotiate (1498).[4] The sense “beginning” is first said of a season (1581); it was then used of public ceremonies and shows, the first part of a ballet (1682) and of an opera (1691), and so came to name a piece of music.[2][4] Ouverture de la chasse and ouverture de la pêche keep only the idea of a date.[4]

The moral sense of frankness appears in ouverture de cœur (1643), and that of receptiveness in ouverture d'esprit (1690).[4] In law ouverture de succession is recorded in 1835, and in politics the word now means the abandoning of an exclusive attitude towards opponents.[4]

Timeline

  • 1121–1134 – Philippe de Thaon uses uverture for an opening.[2]
  • 1293 – Ouvreture “action of opening” is recorded.[2][4]
  • c. 1460 – It means the way of approaching a subject.[4]
  • 1498 – It is used of offers to negotiate.[4]
  • 1581 – De Bara uses it for the beginning of a season.[2][4]
  • 1643 – Ouverture de cœur “frankness” is recorded.[4]
  • 1682 – Ménestrier names the first part of a ballet l'Ouverture.[2]
  • 1690 – Ouverture d'esprit is recorded.[4]
  • 1691 – Ozanam uses it for the instrumental opening of an opera.[2]
  • 1823 – The derivative réouverture is recorded.[4][7]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The action of opening, or the state of being open: l'ouverture d'une valise, les heures d'ouverture.[2][8]
  2. The beginning or official start of something: l'ouverture de la pêche.[4][8]
  3. (music) An overture, the instrumental piece that opens an opera or other work.[2][1]
  4. An opening, a gap or hole, especially a door or window in a building.[2][9]
  5. (photography) The aperture of a lens.[8][4]
  6. (often plural) Overtures, proposals for an agreement or negotiation.[4][2]
  7. Ouverture d'esprit: open-mindedness.[4][1]
  8. (politics) A policy of opening up to opponents or other parties.[4]

Word family

  • réouverture

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  7. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Ouverture.” Etymologically, 11 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/ouverture. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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